USC Trojans' Path to College Football Playoff Berth

The No. 23 USC Trojans are 5-2 entering week 10 at the Nebraska Cornhuskers. With USC coming out of the loss to the No. 12 Notre Dame Fighting Irish, the Trojans face a must-win against Nebraska to keep their College Football Playoff Hopes alive.

Sep 13, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts during the first quarter against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

The No. 23 USC Trojans are 5-3 and 3-1 in Big Ten play, a solid position to be entering the last five weeks of conference competition.

Last season's 4-5 conference record was not USC's best start to their Big Ten campaign, however, based on their overall performance, the race for a Big Ten title and a College Football Playoff seems much more realistic.

With another Big Ten matchup on the road for USC in week 10, Big Ten analysts see a strong chance at a CFP berth.

What Big Ten Analysts Said About USC Trojans, CFP Race

Nov 30, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

In the race for a CFP berth and a Big Ten title, the conference has five two-loss teams: No. 23 USC Trojans, Iowa Hawkeyes, No. 21 Michigan Wolverines, Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Washington Huskies.

Now with the second ever 12-team playoff, a lot of scenarios can be made of which Big Ten teams earn a spot in the playoff, especially from the five two-loss teams.

When looking at the USC Trojans path to the CFP, Big Ten Network analysts Howard Griffith and Dave Revsine break down what USC can accomplish with their upcoming schedule.

"There's a lot sitting in front of them when looking at this USC schedule. They have all the opportunity, it's sitting righ there" Griffith said on Big Ten Today.

MORE: Lincoln Riley Visits Elite USC Trojans Recruit During Bye Week

MORE: Predicting USC Trojans' Five Remaining Games Of 2025 Season

MORE: Grading USC Trojans Star Freshmen Who Have Exceeded Expectations

Griffith and Ravisne analyzed what's left for the Trojans, regarding their upcoming schedule, noting that USC's toughest test will be at No. 6 Oregon.

USC's remaining schedule:

Nov.1 - At Nebraska

Nov. 7 - vs. Northwestern

Nov. 15 - vs. Iowa

Nov. 22 - at No. 6 Oregon

Nov. 29 - vs. UCLA

Nov 11, 2023; Eugene, Oregon, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley, left, and Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning talk before a game at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

However, Griffith noted the key to USC's playoff berth is consistency -- being able to perform the way college football fans have seen all season, and perform at a high level on both sides of the ball.

“If they go out and take care of their business and they can play at the level that we've seen them play occasionally, be able to be consistent, score points, (and) what they can do defensively, there would be no doubt that that this resume would put them into the 12 team playoff," Griffith said.

What CFP Chances Mean for USC Trojans Road Contest at Nebraska

Sep 27, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley talks with players during the first half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Before the Trojans can consider any form of CFP bid, they first go on the road to Nebraska, their first road Big Ten game since their loss at Illinois on Sept. 27.

While Nebraska is the unranked team when facing the Trojans, a prime time matchup under the lights gives USC another true test at a road contest, especially following their week 8 loss to No. 12 Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana.

The Cornhuskers are another two-loss team apart of the Big Ten teams in the CFP discussion, with both losses to Michigan and Minnesota.

Oct 11, 2025; College Park, Maryland, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule walks on the field during the game against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

"I’m not sure they're quite there, but again, they can erase that doubt absolutely with this game against SC and then if you beat Iowa, I mean you'll be 10 and two and you'll have that win,” Revisne said.

As both programs enter week 10 with two losses, the stakes have only gotten higher. A win over the Cornhuskers for the Trojans would solidify USC as a solid contender, and would return to Los Angeles for two back-to-back home games for the first time since September.